Otero County sets the record straight: "We do want to respect all immigration laws."

The Otero Count Commission from left, Commissioner Lori Bies, Commission Chairman Couy Griffin and Commissioner Gerald Matherly approved a resolution declaring that Otero County is not a sanctuary county at their regular meeting on Feb. 14.(Photo: Nicole Maxwell/Alamogordo Daily News)

By unanimous vote Feb. 14, the Otero County Commission made it clear it would respect federal immigration laws.

Otero county is listed on several websites as a sanctuary county for those who entered the U.S. illegally, although the county never made such a declaration.

Currently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, handle immigration issues in Otero County out of the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral.

“Because it’s such a hot-button topic, they (ICE) have taken over complete control of that. We (the county) don’t touch that,” said Otero County Commissioner Lori Bies. “So, as to declaring us not a sanctuary county, we can make a resolution all day long.”

Alamogordo resident Denise Lang asked Bies to clarify that statement and Otero County Commission Chairman Couy Griffin responded that immigration laws should be handled on the federal level.

Two pieces of legislation — House Bill 195 and Senate Bill 196 — were pre-filed in the New Mexico Legislative session this year.

The bills would prohibit state and local agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws and would restrict the authority of a sheriff or jail to hold federal detainees.

House Bill 195 is in committee, and SB 196 passed committee on Jan. 28 with a do-pass recommendation and amendments.

Gov. Michelle LujanGrisham has until April 5 to sign legislation or it gets pocket vetoed.

A heated discussion

The resolution passed quickly but the discussion leading up to the vote became heated.

“When our (emergency room) is so full that they can’t get to the people in this country that are paying taxes to support that facility; that’s not right,” Bies said.

Bies alluded to the treatment of immigrants by local healthcare facilities, including Felipe Gomez Alonzo.

Just before midnight Christmas Eve, Alonzo, a Guatemalan child who had entered the United States illegally with his father, died while in Customs and Border Protection custody at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center.

“Holy cow! It sounds like you’re planning to secede from the state,” Sikes said.

Griffin said the "conservative fabric" of the county dictated the move to clarify the issue on federal detainees by vote, and he also expressed opinion about a series of gun control bills being considered by the Legislature.

"In my position is that if the state of New Mexico wants to come through and be a subsidiary government to the federal government and keep me from embracing my Second Amendment right which I get from the United States Constitution then I feel like that, as a county, we can stand up to the state and say, ‘You know what? Maybe we’re not gonna abide by the liberal legislation that’s coming out of the State of New Mexico right now that affects my Second Amendment," Griffin said.

"So, you can pull your hat down and you can be prepared because we’re not gonna be accepting infringements on our Second Amendment rights. We’re not gonna be accepting this sanctuary status that the state of New Mexico and our governor wants to try to get us to enact. I can only speak for myself.”

Several other New Mexico counties have declared themselves Second Amendment "sanctuary counties."

Second Amendment rights were not on the Otero County Commission agenda Feb. 14.